Redding Tourism Marketing Group Announces Next Phase of Destination Marketing Alignment

Choose Redding brand to sunset as RTMG strengthens partnership with Visit Redding and launches Redding Sports Commission.

Following recent announcements regarding the growing partnership between the Redding Tourism Marketing Group (RTMG) and Visit Redding, RTMG is sharing additional details about what these changes mean for visitors, local businesses and the community.

In April 2026, the RTMG Board of Directors approved a strategic initiative to sunset the public-facing Choose Redding brand as part of a broader effort to simplify how visitors experience Redding and to strengthen the region's tourism marketing efforts. The decision reflects a simple philosophy: visitors are best served by one recognizable destination brand rather than multiple organizations competing for attention.

"While the Choose Redding brand is going away, the organization behind it remains as strong as ever," said Jennifer Johnston, CEO of the Redding Tourism Marketing Group. "Our goal is to eliminate confusion while making our marketing efforts even more effective. Visitors shouldn't have to understand how tourism funding works—they should simply experience one welcoming destination brand."

Although visitors will increasingly interact with the Visit Redding brand, RTMG continues to serve as the destination marketing organization responsible for attracting meetings, conferences, group travel, and major sporting events that generate overnight hotel stays and economic impact throughout the community.

RTMG is funded through the Redding Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID), a 2% assessment paid by lodging businesses within the district. The assessment generates approximately $1.5 million annually, with 83% dedicated directly to destination marketing and attracting overnight visitors through marketing campaigns, meetings, conventions and events.

Visit Redding operates under a separate funding model through the City of Redding's Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) tourism marketing contract, which has been managed by the Redding Chamber of Commerce since 2021. Visit Redding focuses primarily on attracting leisure travelers to the destination.

Together, the two organizations function as a dual-engine tourism marketing system.

"RTMG and Visit Redding each have distinct funding sources and areas of focus, but we share one mission: bringing more visitors to Redding," Johnston said. "When visitors stay in our hotels, dine in our restaurants, shop in our stores, and experience our attractions, that spending supports local businesses, creates jobs, and generates tax revenue that benefits our entire community."

As this transition continues, visitors can expect:

• One primary destination website (VisitRedding.com)
• One primary tourism-focused social media presence
• One community events calendar
• One collaborative tourism office in downtown Redding, where RTMG and Visit Redding staff will soon work together under one roof

Content previously housed on ChooseRedding.com that focused on meetings, groups, and events has been integrated into VisitRedding.com, creating a more seamless experience for planners and visitors alike.

To maintain transparency and fulfill public meeting requirements, RTMG will soon launch a new organizational website at ReddingTourismMarketingGroup.com, which will serve as the home for board meeting agendas, minutes, governance information and organizational updates.

As part of this transition, RTMG's former Choose Redding social media channels will become the official social media presence of the Redding Sports Commission, a program of RTMG created to recruit, support, and retain sporting events that generate overnight visitation and economic impact.

The Redding Sports Commission serves as a resource for tournament directors, rights holders, event organizers, sports facilities, and community partners while positioning Redding as Northern California's premier destination for sports tourism.

In April 2026, Tim Bauer was named Redding Sports Commissioner and leads RTMG's sports tourism initiatives, including recruitment and support of events such as the inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Northern California, expected to bring thousands of visitors and millions of dollars in economic impact to the region.

More information about the Redding Sports Commission can be found at ReddingSportsCo.com.

While the public-facing brands continue to evolve, RTMG's mission remains unchanged: to maximize overnight visitation and strengthen Redding's economy through strategic destination marketing and event development.

"Our community has invested in tourism because it works," Johnston said. "By aligning our brands, strengthening our partnership, and reducing duplication, we're positioning Redding to compete more effectively for visitors while making the best possible use of the resources entrusted to us by our lodging partners and the City of Redding."

Jennifer Johnston

Chief Executive Officer

Redding Tourism Marketing Group

jennifer@reddingtourism.com

Tim Bauer

Redding Sports Commissioner, tim@reddingsportsco.com 

Group Events Director, tim@visitredding.com 

Redding Tourism Marketing Group